Silo.



PATENTED APR. 17, 1906.

J. D. POWELL.

SILO.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14.1905.

UNITE STATES wer rricn Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 1'7, 1906.

' Application flledJuIie 14.1905. Serial No, 265,211.

c-ial object of the invention is to provide an improved door which shall be capable of being conveniently opened and closed against the pressure of the contents of the silo, so as to permit the latter to be gradually removed.

Further objects of the invention are to simplify and improve the construction and operation of this class of devices.

With these and other ends in View, which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that the right is reserved to any changes, alterations, and modifications to'which recourse may be had within the scope of the invention and without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the efliciency of the same.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a silo constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional detail view taken on the plane indicated by the line 3 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. i is a perspective detail view showing parts of the door-fastening means dotached. Fig. 5 is a perspective detail View of a wed ge used in connection with the invention. Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view taken on the plane indicated by the line 66 in Fig. l.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated throughout by similar characters of reference.

In. Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings has been shown a portion of a silo of ordinary con- .st motion, the same bein composed of a plurality of staves 1 1, wdiich are preferably grooved and tongued, as at 2 3, in order that the said staves may be perfectly matched and tight joints secured. The staves are connected together'to form a cylindrical structure of suitable dimensions,

said staves being bound by means of hoops or rods 4, the ends of which are connected together by means which will be presently described. A door-opening is formed in the silo by omitting two or more staves, the staves adjacent to said opening, which have been specially designated 5 and 5, while not necessarily differing from the remainder of the staves may be described as constituting the door-posts, the same extending from the top to the bottom of the silo.

The door is made up of a plurality of sections S, each of suitable height to be conveniently manipulatedsay about three feet. Each ofthese door-sections is composed of two leaves or folding members 6 6, preferably having grooveandtongue connection with the door-posts, with which latter they are also connected by means of leaf-hinges H, the inner leaves of which, 7, are provided with slots 8 for the reception of the screws or other fastening members 9, whereby they are connected with the door members, which latter, it will thus be seen, have a limited sliding movement with relation to the hinges and to the staves which constitute the doorposts. The several door-sections S S have their ends abutting upon each other, so that any one of said door-sections may be opened independently of the rest.

The hoops or rods 4, whereby the staves constituting the silo-and the doors of the same are bound together, are located in the planes of the abutting ends of the door-sections, and their terminals are threaded, as shown at 9, and extended through. perforations in the outer arms of U-shaped bracketclips 10, which are preferably disposed in contact with the outer sides of the staves 5 and 5, constituting the door-posts. The inner brackets of the clips 10 are provided with perforations 11 for the reception of hooks 12, formed at the ends of connecting-bars 13, of round iron, which latter extend across the abutting ends of the door-sections. When these connecting members are in position, the nuts 14 may be tightened upon the threaded en 3 9 of the hoops or rods 4, thus tightening the latter upon the structure forming the silo. It will be observed that prior to this tightening all or nearly all of the door-sections should be placed in position.

The inner edges of the members 6 and 6 of.

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the'door-seetions are beveled upon their in-- ner and outer sides, as shown at'15.16,"reinforcing-strips 22 being placed upon the outside. A binding-strip 17 of trapezoidaL-or approximately triangular or wedge shaped cross-section is provided to engage the inner beveled portions 15. Said binding-strip is provided with perforations 18 for the reception of bolts 19, which also pass through perforations 20 in an exteriorly-disposed locking-strip 21, which is likewise trapezoidal or wedge-shaped in cross-section to engage the beveled portions 16 of the door members and the inner ed es of the reinforcing-strips 22. The bindingolt 19 is provided with a wingnut 23, adapted to bear against the'lockingr strip. The upper and lower edges of the door-sections are beveled upon their innersides, P shown at 24, to enablematerial, such as a portion of the ensilage, to be packed into the grooves thus formed to form absolutely tight oints. When the door-sections are placed in position, the'free edgesof said door-sections are brought nearly-to a closedposition and the binding-strip 16, bolt 19, and locking-strip 21- are then laced in position and the nut tightened, t us forcing the door members apart and into intimate .contact with the staves constituting the door-posts, While the free 'edges'of the door members are intimately .connected by the binding andlocking strips. The slight sliding movement of the door members necessaryto bring about. this ad'ustment is made possible by the presence oi the slots 7' in the hinge-leaves 8. The doors are then further tightened by driving wedges, as 25, between the'doors' and the connecting members 13. To permit-the door-sections to be closed or opened, the connectin members 13 may be-swung out of the ath 0' said door-sections at the upperand ower ends of the latter, as indicated in Fig. 3

. Qof the drawings, so that said door-sections will be temporarily unobstructed. The binding-screws' and the binding and locking strips, together, with the wedges, constitute means whereby the doors ma be readily forced shut against-the powe ul' pressure existing within the silo.

Havin thus described the invention, what is claims is- 1. A silo composed of which-are spaced at 5. posts; and door-sections each com two members hingedly and slida 1y supported with relation to the door-posts. 2.,Asi composed'of matches staves two of whichare spaced apart to constitute doorposts ;'-door -sections each composed of two members grooved" and tongued to matchthe of matched staves two art to constitute doordoOr-postsyand hinges having slotted leaves 1 connecting said door mem'bers-hingedly'and slidably with the door-pests.

3. A-sile having stavesconstituting-doorerr,

osed ofing-bolts connecting s'aid stri cling the silo, and wedges rivenetweenposts -and door-sect ons hingedly connected with. said posts in combination with means including binding-strips, locking-strips, and connecting-bolts for-connecting together the free edges of the door members.

I 4;. A silo-door comprising. hingedly-supported members having free edges beveled upon their inner and outer sides and reinforcing-strips upon tion with binding and locking strips of trapezoidal cross-section having registering'apertures, and a connectingbolt-=having a Wing nut.-

'5. A silo-door comprising hingedly supported members having free edgesbeveled upon their inner and outer sides; in combination with binding and locking strips engaging said inner and outer bevele sides, reinforcing-strips for the latter, and connecting-bolts and wing-nuts.

6.' A silo having a door composed of a lu-' rality of sections abutting upon one anot er, means for hingedly connecting the members of said door-sections with thdstavesof the silo constituting the doorosts, means 'for connecting the free edges 0 the members of "the door-sections, U-shaped clam s disposed adjacent -to the abutting ends 0 the doornected pivotally with/the inner arms of said U-shaped clamps, and hoop-rods having provided with tightening-nuts.

7 In a'silo having a door comprising a lurality'of sections abutting upon one anot er, hoops or rodsencircling the silo and including door-sections.

' 8. In a silo ,.a door comprising a plurality "of sections having beveledup er and lower edges abutting upon oneanot er to form V- -shapedpacking-grooves.

' 93 Ina silo, adoor comprising a plurality of sections,- hoopsor rods encircling the silo and including pivotally -sup-ported connecting members dlsposed in allnement with the door-sections, and Wedges driven between said connecting members and the door-sectio-ns. I

10; In a silo, a door comprising a plurality or sections eachcomprising a air of hingedlysupported members -bevele at "their free edges,- locking and binding strips engaging the free edges of the door members, trgntens,-hoo sencn' said hoops and the door members.

11 In a silo, adoor comprising a plurality of hingdly and slidably sup orted sections,

means for forcing! the free e gee of the door --members coin risin the several sectionsinto alinement wit -eac-=other and then-apart,

said means including wedge strips and tightsections, connecting-bars having hooks conthreaded ends extending through a ertures in v the outer arms of the U-shaped 0 amps and their outer sides; in combinaf pivot'ally-supported connecting-barsdisposed 1n 'alinement with-the abutting ends ofthe.

amass ening-bolts, and additional wedge means for su porting said door members slidably withforcing the members of the door-sections in relation to the door-posts, and means for an inward direction. v forcing the free edges of the doormembers 12. In a silo, a door including a plurality of into registry with each other and then spreadsections each qpmprising a pair of members ing said door members bodily andforcibly 2o hingedly and slidably connected with adjaapart and into intimate contact with the a a cent staves of the silo constituting door-posts; edges of the staves constituting the door; in combination with means for drawing the members. i w free edges of the door members into registry In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 10 with each other and then spreading said door my own I have hereto affixed my signature in 2 5 members bodily apart from each other. the presence of two witnesses.

13. A silo composed ofmatched staves JOHNATHAN D. 'iOWELL. two of which are spaced apartto constitute Witnesses: V door-posts, door members grooved and J. L. BENEDICT,

i5 tongued to match said door-posts, means for CLIFFORD BENNETT. 

